Religion and Philosophy
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Battle of Hunayn and the Pride in Numbers
Fought in 630 CE between Muslims and the non-Muslim Bedouin tribe of Hawazin in the outskirts of Mecca, the Battle of Hunayn is an important battle that has somehow not found a place in everyday Muslim discourse if compared to the battles of Badr, Uhud, or Trench. Battle of Hunayn, among other battles, is one good example that tells us numbers don’t matter. In the earlier battles such as those of Badr, Uhud, or Trench the Muslims were vastly outnumbered, however in this one which took place after the Treaty of Hudaybiah and the Fall of Mecca, the number of Muslims was huge. It was the largest ever Muslim army…
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Guru Nanak on Muslims
“musalmaan kahaavan muskal jaa ho-ay taa musalmaan kahaavai.aval a-ul deen kar mithaa maskal maanaa maal musaavai.ho-ay muslim deen muhaanai maran jeevan kaa bharam chukhaavai.rab kee rajaa-ay mannay sir upar kartaa mannay aap gavaavai.ta-o naanak sarab jee-aa mihramat ho-ay ta musalmaan kahaavai.” Guru Granth Sahib Ji Ang 141 One of the finest definitions of who is worthy of being called a Muslim was given by Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The quotation above which finds a place in Guru Granth Sahib Ji Ang 141 may be translated as follows: “It is difficult to be called a Muslim; if one is truly a Muslim, then he may be called one.First, let him savor…
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Instruction of the Student – Imam Zarnuji
Burhan al-Din al-Zarnuji (d. 620 AH/1223 CE), a Muslim scholar, is the author of the celebrated pedagogical work Ta’līm al-Muta’allim-Ṭarīq at-Ta’-allum (Instruction of the Student: The Method of Learning). We took the book for our reading sessions. The following summary would be helpful for the ones who have read the text or joined us in the sessions. These bullets can help in reminding what is already learned, this cannot replace a teacher or the text. Foreword by Hamza Yusuf: Islamic Community is Rooted in Adab. Adab is knowing ones place in hierarchy. Argument for hierarchy “Are they the same – those who know and those who do not” (39:9). “I…
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Enlightenment or Unenlightenment of our Nature – Plato
Following is taken from Plato’s Republic Book VII (translated by C. D. C. Reeve) SOCRATES: Next, then, compare the effect of education and that of the lack of it on our nature to an experience like this. Imagine human beings living in an underground, cavelike dwelling, with an entrance a long way up that is open to the light and as wide as the cave itself. They have been there since childhood, with their necks and legs fettered, so that they are fixed in the same place, able to see only in front of them because their fetter prevents them from turning their heads around. Light is provided by a…
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Prophet Muhammad (saw) in the Qur’an
“Proclaim! In the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, who created – created man, out of a leech-like clot. Proclaim! And thy Lord is Most Bountiful, – He who taught (the use of) Pen, – Taught man that which he knew not.” – Qur’an, Iqraa (Alaq) 1-5 With these words started what would become a source of guidance for millions of people around the world. The declaration or proclamation of which was to be done ”in the name of God” – the Creator. It wasn’t for any personal benefits to the Prophet (saw) who would soon suffer persecution, sorrow, and suffering. No, he was not seized with madness (7:184) nor…